The layman's definition of a "clown" is typically not a positive one. Garish makeup, overbearing demeanor, and lame tricks. Throw in a few references to Ronald McDonald and Stephen King's It and you've covered what seems to be the standard cultural representation.
But is your opinion, as a comedy-savvy individual, any different

As was mentioned here - and on every other comedy blog - this week, David Letterman had Mary Hicks, the mother of Bill Hicks, as a guest on Friday's show. They also played his full set that was pulled from broadcast in 1993.
The amount of pure class that Dave showed cannot go unnoticed. Dave's a great storyteller when given the opportunity, and can be eloquently heartfelt when so inclined. Perhaps it's because of his curmudgeonly persona, but when he offered a heartfelt apology for making that decision in '93, it was hard not to be moved

Tonight’s finale of the PBS series Make ‘Em Laugh started off with the simple category of “wiseguys”. I’m still not sold on the way these episodes are categorized, but happy that this episode kicked off with Don Rickles, including some great clips of him on Carson

Even history's "great" comedians rarely make news after they've passed. Bill Hicks has been gone for 15 years, and besides a few books published about the man, nothing has been as newsworthy to Hicks fans as this

The long-running rumor that John Mayer would host a new variety show were confirmed by CBS last week, and immediately, venom spewed throughout the internet. He’s a sell-out, he’s a douchebag, he needs to stick to music, and so on. In short: “that’s enough, John Mayer”.
I disagree. Walk with me…

Episode one centred on “Nerds, Jerks, and Oddballs”, and got off to a questionable start with a weird faux-historical view of comedy, in the hands of “host” Billy Crystal. (Quotations necessary because he only appears briefly at the start of each episode, with the narration done by the fabulous Amy Sedaris.)
But within the first seven minutes, we were treated to a wonderful profile of Harold Lloyd, complete with an interview clip featuring Bill Irwin. That’s when I knew I could relax. If they know enough to interview Bill Irwin, everything’s gonna be just fine